Ken Gruebel: Novel tells a tale of atonement

This was certainly an interesting week. I started by reading a first novel by a new writer, this by Kenneth Capps, and then went on to read one of the more 30 some odd novels by John Sandford. The first novel by Capps showed promise although there was a bit more preaching than action but the forecast of an interesting novelist certainly shines through the pages.

This was certainly an interesting week. I started by reading a first novel by a new writer, this by Kenneth Capps, and then went on to read one of the more 30 some odd novels by John Sandford. The first novel by Capps showed promise although there was a bit more preaching than action but the forecast of an interesting novelist certainly shines through the pages.

Basically the story covers the waning years of an old Texasrancher. The ranch is huge and the cattle are numerous, but the pride of the ranch are the horses. Each horse has been trained to respond to both halter and knee directions. However the flavor in life has left the old rancher since his wife passed away. Oh, he still rides and he still directs the foreman of the ranch but the zest has gone out of living. Lurking in the back of his mind is an open sore reminding him of a shameful deed he had committed years ago, something he still regrets but has found no way to atone for it.

Two young boys who are school yard friends are offered jobs on the ranch and enjoy the creeks and the water holes for fishing as part of their pay. It is the boys’ actions, and their acceptance of each other, and each other’s family, that leads the grizzled rancher onto a path for peace, and hopefully, forgiveness.

On another note I also read “Shock Wave” by John Sandford, GP Putnam’s Sons, 388pp, $27.99. This particular book is called a Virgil Flowers novel and indeed he is the designated hero of this mystery. Virgil is basically a detective but seems to work directly under the governor although this is not made clear in the story. I kind of had the feeling that I should have read some of the earlier Flowers novels to get a grip of who Virgil was and what he did.

This story details what has gone on in nearly every large town or small city in the country. A huge department store chain is seeking to move into a small city. The ground is broken and the permits are given, much to the surprise of many of the citizens. Then a bomb goes off in the headquarters tower of the chain in another city, causing much damage although no one is injured.

What is very puzzling to the local sheriff, the town’s police chief and other law enforcement officials is that the only way to get a bomb to where it exploded would be to drop it from someone parachuting to that height, or some other equally dangerous aerial method.

Following that episode there is yet another bomb explosion, this time on the construction site in a city that thought it had turned down the building applications and denied the mammoth chain a foothold. Many of the local businesses are desperately worried that the huge chain will put them out of business. They have no way to compete on either price or inventory.

Page 2 of 2 - With so many possible people with strong motives to delay or completely block the huge chain’s location the bombers identity will require all of Flower’s sleuthing skills and ingenuity. Romance, ah yes. Flowers becomes interested in one of the women police detectives named Good Thunder. An Indian, Good Thunder assists in identifying the culprit. And no, once again I did not solve the puzzle or identify the culprit.